Cardinal Justin Rigali, Archbishop of Philadelphia, will visit the men and women of Bucks County Correctional Facility to celebrate Mass for approximately 80 inmates. Cardinal Rigali has visited several prisons throughout Pennsylvania but this is his first visit to the Bucks County Prison System.

Father Charles Hagan, Pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Doylestown, and Father Gerard Hoffman, Parochial Vicar of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Doylestown, will concelebrate. Inmates will participate in the liturgy as readers and altar servers.

10:00 a.m. Mass
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Bucks County Correctional Facility
1730 South Easton Road
Doylestown (Bucks County)


Cardinal Rigali's first pastoral visit to a Pennsylvania prison was at Christmas 2003, shortly after he was installed as Archbishop of Philadelphia. At that time he celebrated a liturgy for the inmates of the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center. In December 2004, Cardinal Rigali visited Graterford Prison in Montgomery County. In December 2005, Cardinal Rigali visited Curran-Fromhold Correction Facility in Northeast Philadelphia, where he celebrated Mass and visited with the men. Last Christmas, Cardinal Rigali visited the women of Riverside Correction Facility in Philadelphia.

Bucks County Correctional Facility opened in June 1985 and receives approximately 7100 prisoners a year. There are 276 cells and 695 bunks available to house inmates.

Editor's Note: Media planning to cover are kindly asked to contact Stacey Hajdak at the Bucks County Commissioners' Office of Public Information, at 215-348-6415 or 215-565-6401 (cell). Not all inmates wish to be on camera. Prison staff will seat inmates who agree to be on camera in a designated area.

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